


Steps to Sleep

by KawaiiKitsune13



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Stripper/Exotic Dancer, Cuddles, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Jughead did not grow up in Riverdale, Just Betty musing on her life after a hard shift, Sleepy Times, don't get too excited about the other characters- they are just mentioned, let me know how I did, nighttime contemplation, stripper!Betty, the goal was sweetness in a bottle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:54:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23812648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KawaiiKitsune13/pseuds/KawaiiKitsune13
Summary: Just a lil fic where Betty is coming home from a long shift, reflecting on her current life and relationship with Jug. Followed by some drowsy conversation between Bughead.
Relationships: Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 2
Kudos: 33
Collections: 7th Bughead Fanfiction Awards - Nominees





	Steps to Sleep

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to sweetwaterprincess for beta'ing for me. I appreciate it. 
> 
> I needed to write and upload this because it's fluffy. Give what you want to get back out into the world and all.

Betty feels her shoulders slump, it was a long day and her bed practically releasing a siren call. How merciless. She had grabbed a bite in the form of two pizza slices she devoured on the way home.

Jughead might be up. He is a night owl by nature but his job has taken a lot out of him and he crashes before she comes home more often than not.

It’s good though, as Betty opens the door and steps into her apartment, letting her mini duffle bag flop, she silently celebrated how secure they are.

A lot of guys she’s dated couldn’t handle her job which is... a job and it eventually comes between them. Tough shit, she has college to pay for on top of her sister’s medical bills. Undoing years of brainwashing proved to be a difficult process and someone has to foot the bill for her inpatient care. And she has to supply a stipend for her mother in jail.

As Betty padded to the kitchen, she noticed the state of the living room lights. He was in bed then.

She returned to her musing as she works through her glass of water.

Betty remained grateful Jug understands the reality of bad family and how it can be necessary to cut them out. That he didn’t try to convince her to give them another chance because shared DNA means giving endless support and accepting forever holding the short end of the stick. He truly listened. She never wants to see them again but after she shoulders this burden, she did absolutely more than enough and owed them nothing. No more communication. Logically Betty knew that even without handling their financial problems, she still wasn’t truthfully indebted but the guilt of not stepping in would have followed her. Talking with a therapist helped her figure out how to form a safety net so she could remain comfortable dodging any involvement in the future no matter what tragedies befall them.

Betty put a stray plate in the sink and started to wash her glass.

Just because Jughead didn’t follow the bullshit routine when it came to her job didn’t mean they had their arguments of course. Just last week they fought over expectations. Jug thought she had been hinting she wanted a proposal and blew up about her not being upfront with him about her wants. Which resulted in her shocked and confused brain answering with “Why would you think I wanted to marry you?”

And of course, he took that as a personal slight against him instead of a legitimate question because what were the 'hints' anyway. She had accidentally struck a sore point and he knew her true intended meaning but it still stung because of old wounds.

They resolved it that day and now Jug recognizes she has a matching marriage cynic badge. And while they congratulate others, it isn’t something they will reconsider in the next few years.

He has a temper and flair for dramatic but it’s been ridiculously easy for her to be happy with him. He accepts that this is her livelihood- just like she accepts his new office job where he’s the newbie so extra hours are currently his norm.

All the other guys she’s dated have been insecure fuckers who dealt with that by shaming her. Can’t even imagine her old Riverdale relationships dealing with this; they would have flipped their shit and probably tried to ‘save’ her. Completely ignoring that she has agency and her job at Familiar Laces was a solid career option at the moment. 

Betty silently acknowledged that she’s been particularly melancholy about her past romantic disappointments tonight but after her shift, she had to comfort a sobbing Midge whose boyfriend dumped her in a text simply because of her occupation. All the girls have gone through this, including Valerie- their badass house mom and club owner. 

Unlike the initial sore muscles and thigh bruises from learning the pole, people’s close-mindedness about this… It’s not a rite of passage where you deal with the temporary growing pains. It just repeats.

They pretend to not care but in truth, they just ranked the sex they assume will be wild as worth dealing with your job. Maybe they get jealous and paranoid next, casting doubts on your loyalty. Or it goes down like what happened with Midge, they stay silent until they decided to call it off. She hopes Midge finds someone who isn’t sanctimonious soon. Maybe she should introduce her to Fangs.

Betty snapped out of her musings and shelved her now sparkling clean cup.

Pulling off her sweatshirt and jeans, she replaced her ankle-length socks with a fuzzy pair to deal with Jug’s icicle feet.

As soon as she slipped into bed, Jug groaned. “Betts?”

Betty snorts, “No, it’s the ghost of your first novel. Finish meeee.”

“Smartass,” he nipped her shoulder in response. Settled back in and pulling her closer, “How was your night?”

“It was alright, security had to come over once and the new girl tried to pinch some of my tips but I made my quota. A little over even, who wants extra bacon on their burger tomorrow?” She waggled her eyebrows even though he couldn’t see them, she knew he clued into her mannerisms awhile ago.

“My darling sugar momma,” kissing the top of her head, “glad you’re home.” 

She laced their fingers together. “No place I would rather sleep Jug.”

“Naturally. Who would deal with your comatose brain’s next level clinginess? If I don’t wake up with you sprawled across me, I would have to wonder if it’s truly morning.”

Smughead Jones has made an appearance, yet again managing to be both rude and sweet. Even as tired as she is, it is her duty to the world to point this out. “Now who’s the smart ass?”

“It’s both of us. We are a matching pair.”

“Peas in a snark pod.” Betty giggled at her own admittedly nonsensical joke.

Jughead swooped in to press a soft kiss to her upturned mouth. “You’re so sleepy. Night ponytail.”

“Sweet dreams Juggie.” Betty listened to his calming breaths and steady heartbeat, letting her exhaustion and content guide her into a deep sleep.

Knowing tomorrow would be the same yet different and she would have Jughead by her side to face the joys and struggles of the new day.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sad about Riverdale as I know many are. But even though canon is dead to me- Fanon lives on. *dramatic trumpet noises*  
> My Tumblr handle is @strangenightsofdaydreams. Comment if you enjoyed and feel so inclined! The club name was debated between Familiar Laces and Happy Birthday. I wanted a reference to Mad World. Thanks for reading and I hope you have a blessed day.


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